The Fatal Sisters: or the Castle of the Forest: a Dramatic Romance of Five Acts
Author Edmund John Eyre was an actor, playwright. He was born to Rev. Mr. Eyre in Leverington. Edmund John Eyre died in 1816. He performed in many regional troupes, but he was not well known. Characters Athold: The main protagonist of the play. The typical man of action, he will stop at nothing to be reunited with his lost love. Not much of a sailor- his boat crashed while sailing. Elvira: The heroine of the story and the item of Athold's affection. The typical Heroine of Sensibility, relies of Athold to do much of the action and saving. She is trapped in the castle at the beginning of the play. Ferrand: The play's antagonist, whom in typical gothic fashion is chasing after Elvira. The male tyrant of the play who wants nothing but power and wealth and is not above diabolical and intimidating tactics to get what he wants. He owns the castle and threatens characters with the Black Tower. Juletta: Francisco's daughter. She is also a heroine of sensibility like Elvira. She is the only one to talk to the supernatural beings in the play. She too longs for escape from her father and to marry Edwy. Edwy: Athold's companion who is also caught in the shipwreck that sent Athold to Ferrand's Castle, he is the only character in the play that is sent to the Tower and as a result also see's the supernatural, much like his love Juletta. O’Leary: An Irish man whom is trapped in the castle with Elvira. He tells Elvira that he will get her out of the castle, but in return she must fall in love with him. Sebastian: The rightful heir to Almuncar’s Castle. The son of Alphonso, and leads the battle to regain control over the castle. Alphonso: The Rightful Lord of Almuncar’s castle whom was forced to leave the castle because of Ferrand. But in the end he gets his revenge on Ferrand, and as a result regains control over the castle. Setting The play takes place in Almunecar, which at the time the play was written, was part of the Kingdom of Granada. Now it is a municipality of the Province of Granada. Lying on the Mediteranean Sea, it is a warm, tropical climate with sand and beaches. But the actual play takes place in the dark and horrific Almuncar castle, which sets up the gothic setting. Summary The Fatal Sisters is a play that involves an entangled web of characters, whom do not realize how close they truly are to the things/people they are searching for. This play tells the tale of a man, Athold, whom is in search for his true love, when his ship becomes wrecked. He finds himself and his companion, Edwy, stranded on the shore of Almunecar, in the kingdom of Granada. Stranded in Granada they seek refuge in a castle, which is ruled by Ferrand, the Marquis of Almunecar. Athold and Edwy are warned that whoever enters the castle, never comes back out, which sets up the gothic plot. The warning becomes true just seconds after entering the castle, Athold and Edwy seem to be at the mercy of Ferrand, the tyrant. But to their suprise, they are not the only ones trapped in the castle, as is Elvira, Juletta, and O'Leary. Elvira and O'Leary are being held captive and everyone in the castle is afraid of being sent to the Black Tower. The Black Tower is said to be the home of ghosts and the devil which is verified by Juletta and Edwy. After being trapped in the castle and having their lives threatened Edwy and Athold escape the castle. But they do not just leave and forget about everything that happened in the castle, Athold must return to save Elvira whom is being chased by Ferrand. Therefore, Edwy must return to aid his love, Juletta. When they escape, they join the rightful ruler Alphonso and Sebastian and take back the castle and rescue everyone inside. In the end, everyone ends up with who they were suppose to end up with, which is a very Radcliffian concept. Now go see Shane's page: Edmund John Eyre Critical Reception In general, The Fatal Sisters has recieved negative reviews. It has been described as being contrived and uninspired. Critics have said that reading it is a generally unfavorable experience. Ralph Griffiths of the Monthly Review said of The Fatal Sisters that it: "Dram constructed on materials taken from modern romances; in which Mr. Eyre has ventured to seize the wand of magic fancy with powers to feeble to use it. The incidents and characters want novelty; the story is trite; and sentiments and diction vulgar." Not only did this play have critics pointing out its problems, it also had reception problems. It was very unpopular not only with readers during this time, it was also rejected by its publisher. David Erskine Baker, author of the Biographia Dramatica, explains this: "This piece was rejected by the managers; and we cannot think it would have answered the expenses that must have been incured by its representation." Gothic Elements Setting:' '''This play has a castle backdrop complete with a moat and a Black Tower. The castle is surrounded by high walls that make escape impossible and entrance unfeasable. These walls prevent people from knowing what is hiding behind them and adds the sense of mystery that gothic novels exude. The Moat is important to the mystery as not only does it keep people out; it keeps people in. That sense of mystery comes from not knowing what is hidden behind that moat. The Black Tower also adds to the gothic mystery as villagers around the castle associate it with ghosts, murderers, and shrieks. '''Characterization:' There are several stereotypes in this play that are common practices in gothic literature. There is a tyrant: Ferrand. There are distraught damsel in distress: Elvira and Juletta. There is the classic hero who is willing to risk life and limb to save the woman who he loves: Athold. Plot: The plot of the play itself carries on many tropes of gothic literature. There is a man who is in love but he gets seperated from her in an explained, but unlikely, way. From there, the characters end up in a mysterious castle ruled by an evil tyrant. The tyrant tries to intimidate everyone into fearing and listening to him. All the while, a secondary character (Juletta) speaks with ghosts bringing the supernatural into the story. (See Secondary Characters and the Supernatural (Theory) Themes:' ' There are many themes in this play that are reminiscent of other gothic works during this time. They include: the loss of a loved one, physical danger, threats to and from a male tyrant, supernatural occurances, and a damsel in distress. Created by OSUN students: http://www.newarkcampus.org/Pages/default.aspx Connected Pages Black Tower Edmund John Eyre Biography The Moat Return to Main Page Category:The Fatal Sisters Category:Novel